Air mattresses have been known for some time. However, generally, these mattress are of a quality insufficient to permit long term, everyday use as bedding. Rather, they are generally intended for recreation, such as flotation in the water, or as temporary bedding such as on camp outs, or visits away from home. These conventional mattresses are generally constructed using thin plastic sheets.
One of the many problems with these conventional mattresses is the lack of an ability to provide any substantial support, especially when sitting or rising from the mattress. This results primarily from the use of a single inflatable enclosure designed for low pressure inflation.